1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pedal force simulator for a hydraulic brake system of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
WO 2012/150 108 A1 discloses a pedal force simulator that can give the user of a brake system a familiar brake pedal feel, even though the braking force is not produced directly by the actuating force applied manually by the user at the brake pedal. Instead, modulation of the braking torque in a manner dependent on the foot force of the user is performed by an external force, e.g. an electric motor, a compressor or the like due to electronic signal transmission (also referred to as “brake-by-wire”). The pedal force simulator gives a haptic feedback in the form of a predetermined force/displacement behavior to the user as the vehicle brake pedal is actuated. The feedback corresponds to the actual braking behavior of the vehicle brake system to make it easier for the vehicle driver to proportion the braking force. The predetermined force/displacement behavior can simulate a braking feel that is familiar from conventional hydraulic vehicle brake systems.
It is an object of the invention to provide a pedal force simulator that gives the user of the brake system an improved and more realistic braking feel.